Da Meteork Skwadrun
Over the recent centuries, pilots and ship captains in the Eressa Sector have learned to fear the warband of Orks known as the Meteork Skwadrun. Not aligned with any particular clan, these Orks have gained a reputation as highly dangerous and shockingly skill in the operation of their aircraft. Lead by Kaptin' Zhaddok, the Orks of the Skwadrun have proven a craftiness rarely found among their kin, making use of bafflingly effective camouflage in combination with speed and hazardous maneuvers. History Sneakin' in da Sky Before Zhaddok earned his title of 'Kaptin'', he was a Kommando, serving various Bosses of varying success. One such Boss was Grimacka, who lead his mobs against the garrison of the mining planet Govis V. While distrusting the Kommandos un-orkish style of warfare like most of his brethren, Grimacka planned to have them cripple the imperial defenders before the major battle, or at least provide a valuable distraction.'' What Grimacka had not taken into consideration was Govis V' utterly barren landscape, which left the Kommandos wide open for the guardsmen manning the garrison. After the fifth attempt to blend into the rocks and dust resulted in yet more dead Boyz, it dawned on Zhaddok that he would need to come up with a plan of unusual cunning. After several days of Squig-beer, careful observation and waiting for inspiration, Grimacka made his disappointment about the lack of progress known by bashing a few heads of Zhaddok's squad in, prompting the Kommando to jump into action. Having stared at the fortress, the fact that the sky of Govis V never cleared had wormed its way into Zhaddok's brain, leading to a simple but weighty conclusion: There had been plenty of cover all along, just not where the Ork had needed it. Following this revelation, Zhaddok quickly coerced the local Meks into crafting crude but operable flying machines for his boys, along with generous amounts of explosives. In a mere three days, Zhaddok was able to transport his entire troop per Kopta. The process had been sped up by Grimacka further reducing their numbers for every day without battle. Having his Boss use the regular Boyz as a distraction, Zhaddok's Kommandos successfully conducted the first orkish aerial sneak attack, dropping bombs and themselves on the shocked guardsmen and disabled the defenses to allow a delayed but overwhelming victory for Grimacka. Krimzon Skiez ovah Kinsharra The first recorded sighting of the Skwadrun was in the skies of Kinshara, where the Xeno forces harassed imperial landing operations and raided supply depots. While initially considered a makeshift Ork force, imperial observers were eventually confronted with several Bommers dragging a banner with a crudely drawn, flaming Ork skull behind them, accompanied by a speech of Kaptin' Zhaddok, broadcasted over speakers mounted on the aircraft. Relief eventually came when the Battlefleet Eressa 616th Fighter Wing "The Ebony Grox" entered the fight, proving able to defy the Ork pilots. Racking a toll nearly thrice the amount of their own losses, they managed to stall the Xenos' assault until the ground forces could secure the victory. Having lost the war and entered a stalemate in battle, the Kaptin' Zhaddok and his Orks eventually left the planet in the search for more lucrative prey, not without swearing eternal rivalry to the 616th. Red 'Unz 'gainst Purpl' 'Unz With his reputation established, Zhaddok had plenty of opportunities to fill his pockets with teeth, only hindered by a lack of capable personnel. The Mek maintaining the Meteorks' machines had been lost to a particulary lethal creation of his own design, leaving the airborne Kommandos' equipment in acute disrepair. Due to a lucky coincidence however, attributed to the generous use of blue by Zhaddok's second-in-command Uznog, Zhaddok's Meteorks fought alongside a cult of Speed Freaks known as the 'Zog Mongaz'. While he had initially planned to 'invite' and 'convince' some of their Meks to switch sides, he had an unexpected volunteer. The Mek Chozdrom, exiled by his brethren for accidentally inventing a muffler, quickly signed up with Zhaddok, motivated to craft a number of lethal tools to be tested on his former comrades. Falling back to their tried and tested Kommando times, Zhaddok had his Boyz invade the Zog Mongaz camp by night and relieve them of large amounts of fuel, ammo and beer. The next day, it came as a surprise to most that the Speed Freaks did not reach the battlefield or found themselves unable to fire more than a couple of shots. Makkaloopa Orks still use the Kinshara system to launch raids into Palavo, but more often than not find a squadron of Imperial warships and the attack craft they carry waiting for them. This does nothing to deter Kaptin' Zhaddok who seems bent on killing Gregory Konrade or dying by his hand. In one such incident Zhaddok joined forces with the Ork Freeboota Zirzag in a raid on the convoy transporting the planet's tithe. While the fleet engaged the Ork Croozers Zirzag commanded Zhaddok led his pilots in an attack on the planet below, forcing The Ebony Grox to engage. The Orks' reckless course drove them through the city of Makalupa where they lost many pilots to collisions with the city's towers(one of which collapsed, killing 340 Palavo citizens) or to anti-aircraft fire. The Grox finally engaged as they reached the city's outskirts, knocking down eight Ork craft with no losses of their own. Zhaddok cut his losses and ran, escaping aboard the surviving Croozer and living to fight another day. Tactics Under the command of Kaptin' Zhaddok, a former Kommando, the Meteorks employ, for their species, unusually subtle and crafty tactics. Aerial The majority of the Skwadrun's crafts are painted in bright, blaring colors and adorned with decorations and paintings made to attract the enemies attention. Once this first step has been achieved, Kaptin' Zhaddok and his elite fighters swoop down from the sky, preferably with the sun behind them, and fall into the back of their enemies. To supplement this, the Kaptin's personal wing uses a number of camouflages that are surprisingly effective. It has been reported that Ork vessels entered Imperial formations undetected, tagging along for several miles until they opened fire, throwing their opponents into chaos and turning them into easy prey. Air To Ground Despite having evolved and taken to the sky, the Meteorks have lost nothing of their original 'cunnin' brutality' and will conduct raids, sabotage and landing operations if enough teeth change ownership. For these, the Meteorks make use of their trusty Deffkoptas, ramshackle but effective machines carrying deceptively strong firepower, let alone their lethal green cargo. Wargear True to the principles of Ork society, a craft entering the possession of the Skwadrun won't necessarily stay the same. While favoring the use of fast attack craft like Dakkajets, Blitzer-Bommers and especially Burna-Bommers, they have proven capable of producing any kind of flying contraption, from simple Deffkoptas up to Heavy Bommers. Zhaddok's personal wing also features Chozdrom's mufflers, which many Speed Freaks complain about as a disgrace to any orkish machine. Such statements are usually followed by the inexplicable disappearance of said Speed Freak. On top of their machines' built-in weaponry, many pilots keep Shootas, Choppas or Grapplin'-'ooks in the cockpit, either for the use after their eventual crash or to hijack enemy planes. Some planes have been especially equipped with harpoons for the sole purpose of 'securing' enemy aircraft for later use. Kaptin' Zhaddok, "Da Sky-Sneaka" Unusual for a Flyboy, Zhaddok is suspected to be a former Kommando instead of a Speed Freak, backed up by his proficiency with tactics and camouflage. Quite cunning in his own right, Zhaddok freely uses the 'lesser' members of his cadre as distractions and believes that any Ork that dies shouldn't have lived anyway. The Kaptin's strategic prowess is somewhat at odds with his notorious need for self-embellishment and boasting, which leads to him openly challenging opposing pilots or obnoxiously flaunting his victories. Whether these are the typical oddities of orkish culture or a way of taunting his enemies into mistakes is the subject of debate. In any case, Zhaddok's demands for "'onor'bl' duels" fall under his own interpretation of honor, which means that any trick, ruse or move is allowed as long as it secures him victory. Those unfortunate enough to face the Ork in the expectation of a proper duel quickly end up as little more than a burnt piece of scrap on his trophy rack. Zhaddok is often seen landing and taking trophies from the various planes he shot down, attempts to dispatch the Ork in such a vulnerable state have been foiled by Zhaddok's loyal co-pilot and bullet catcher, Uznog. Deff Flakka The Kaptin's personal Dakkajet is just as lethal as its name suggests, sporting no less than six Supa Shootas as well as an array of Rockits, fog throwers, Turbo Boostars and of course an inexplicably effective camouflage paintjob. The latter fact is even more baffling as it is obviously flashy, featuring a wild mix of colors and style. As the Kaptin' himself explains it: Active Meteorks Uznog Loyal and equipped with an infallible instinct for projectiles heading the way of his Kaptin', Uznog has received numerous head-surgeries following equally numerous head-injuries. Living embodiment of the Orks' phsyical resilience, Uznog wears the bullets retrieved from his decreasing brain mass as a necklace. Baddgit Rather unusual for the Flyboys, Baddgit was originally a Goff. Part of a now destroyed Waaagh!, his brethren would be repeatedly decimated by Imperial aircraft. Seeing his airborne brethren unable to turn the situation around, Baddgit decided to take matters into his own hands. Punching the nearest Flyboy unconscious and taking his aircraft, Baddgit took to the skies. However, he was unable to overcome his Goff upbringing and started to simply ram his Jet into his opponents. While terribly effective in numerous ways, Baddgit has since chafed more Jets than any other Meteork, which are usually heavily modified to withstand his aggressive style of warfare. Mek Chozdrom Chozdrom was ousted from his band of Speed Freaks for accidentally inventing a device that would muffle an engine's noise. Considered a shame for their cause, Chozdrom was chased out and found shelter under the banner of the ambitious Kaptin' Zhaddok. The orkish engineer soon proved his worth to the Meteorks, which in return tested his creations against a certain Speed Kult by means of overwhelming firepower. Chozdrom and Zhaddok sealed their fruitful partnership with Squig-beer and a friendly headbutt match. Dhutzmug Designated punching bag and frequent target of live fire exercises. Ol' Rattlejaw A hoary old Cybork with is many battle-scars and augmentations as he does wild stories regarding their origins, Ol' Rattlejaw remains a source of constant entertainment for the rest of the Skwadrun, namely because no amount of dakka, well-placed headbutts, or explosive decompression can seemingly kill the rambling Flyboy. Indeed, his survival skills are so ludicrous that the Kaptin' regularly hosts a sort of tontine in which members of the Meteorks bet Teef on what impossible deathtrap Rattlejaw with crawl his way out of next time. His incredible resilience is in part due to his unique setup within his Dakkajet, the Iron Squig, which utilizes a looted cogitator that interfaces directly with his cast-iron chassis, essentially making Rattlejaw an extension of his vehicle's myriad weapon's systems. He often boasts that "da ol' bird doz da tinkin fer 'im", and he's not wrong, his grey matter essentially serving as an organic component of a rampantly evolving data-matrix that has long since outstripped Rattlejaw's own tactical capabilities. Feel Free To Add Your Own Honorable Mentions Mek Eadskorcha Ambitious and skilled, Eadskorcha was the one first realizing Zhaddok's plan of 'Flyin' Kommandos' and remained a trusted and loyal member of the Meteorks for a few years afterwards. A victim of his own aspirations, Eadskorcha eventually went the way of all that is orkish when he attempted to create Tellyportas able to be fired through a Shokk Attack Gun. Feel Free To Add Your Own Relations Allies *'Boss Snazzgram's Gun Eatas' – Despite regular infighting, the marauding Orks of Eressa are a tight-knit community (as far as that term can be applied to these Xenos) and the two Warbands have conducted several raids together, sometimes under the banner of a larger Warboss. *Add Your Own Enemies *'Zong Mongas' – Chozdrom's original warband is on understandably ill terms with the Skwadrun after the latter raided their camp. While the Speed Freaks had initially no idea who had been behind it, they eventually were able to connect the clues and figure out that the new warband of their exiled Mek being incidentally one of former Kommandoz might be a strong clue. *'616th Fighter Wing "Ebony Grox"' – Imperial and Ork flyers have clashed on numerous occasions, such as over Kinsharra or Makkaloopa. The feud between Zhaddok and the Grox is an especially fierce one however and Zhaddok is determined to eventually collect a full set of all the Grox' pilots' skulls. *'Craftworld Baharruin' – The Aeldari of Eressa unanimously despite the Orksas an infestation of vermin that plagues the stars they consider theirs. For all the speed and agility the aeldari pilots possess however, they find themselves evenly matched by the Greenskins brutality and intrinsic affinity for war. *Add Your Own Quotes By About Feel Free To Add Your Own Category:Eressa Sector Category:Orks Category:Mercenaries